Towel-rack



AB. G.' RICHARDS. TowELRAcK. APPLICATION FILED `FEB. 24, i920. Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

BRAYTON G. RICHARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JACQUES `ROUSSO," 0F

LOS i `ANGFELES, CALIFORNIA.

TOWEL-RACK.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

Application `filed February24, 1920. Serial No. 360,924.

To all whom it may concern: y

Be it knownV thatlI, BnAY'roNG. `RICH- Anus, a `citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefull Improvements in Towel-Racks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in towel racks and has for its object the provision of a simple and effective construction of this character arranged to prevent the unauthorized removal or misuse of towels, which is of simple construction and el'licien't in operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

j The invention consists in the combinaw tions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1, is a front view of a towel rack embodying the invention,

Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section of the same,

Fig. 3, a front view of a modified form of construction, and

Fig. il, a vertical transverse section of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

The form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a suitable supporting frame or cabinet 5 having a clean towel supporting shelf 6 arranged at an elevated position, as indicated, and a soiled towel receptacle 7 arranged under said shelf, as shown. A towel guide rod 8 has its upper end releasably secured in a lock 9 positioned in the back of the frame 5 just above the upper surface of the `shelf 6, said rod eX- tending thence above, adjacent and substantially parallel to the upper surface lof the shelf Gand outwardly beyond the outer edge thereof, extending thence downwardly and rearwardlyinto the receptacle 7., as shown, and constituting a suitable guide for the towels 10, as will be readily understood. The clean towels 10 are arranged in a stack or pile on the shelf 6 and over the horizon tal portion of the rod 8, said towels being provided with gromets 1l threaded on the rod 8. The horizontal portion of the rod is positioned closely adjacent the upper surface of the shelf 6, whereby the edges 12 beyond the gromets 11 are in contact with,

or in closeproximityto the upper surface of the shelf, and whereby the `outer end of the horizontal portionwof 4therod `18 is re inforced and stiffened against downward bending. In this way, it willi be observed that `while the extendingedge 12 of a single towel would perhaps furnish little or no `stifl'ening for the rod 8, the plurality of such edges will furnish material bracing and stitfening of said rod to prevent downward sagging of the same and undue strain on the lock 9. Furthermore, it will also be observed that any material or extended downward sagging or movement of ,the outer end of the horizontal portion of the rod 8 will bring the gromets 11 in close proximity to or contact with the shelf 6, thus furnishing a rigid and positive brace for said rod against downward pressure thereon, and that the more towels piled on top of the rod the greater this stiffening and bracing action will be.

The modied form of construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is identical with that already described, except that the back of the frame or cabinet is terminated just above the lock 9, and the upper edge 5 of said back thus forms a transverse supporting bar over which the stack or pile of towels 10 may be thrown, as indicated in Fig. 4." This arrangement relieves the horizontal" portion of the rod 8 of a large portion of the weight and strain of the stack of towels, and also permits of the use of a larger number of towels if desired. This device is also capable of use with the towels arranged as indicated in Fig. 2, if desired, but it is not quite so attractive in appearance as the latter construction.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred forms of construction for carrying my invention into effect, these are capable of variation and modification witlr out departing from the spirit of the inven tion. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth,.but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is j 1. A towel rack comprising a towel supporting shelf; a guide rod extending outwardly over, in close proximity to, and substantially parallel to the top of said shelf, the proximity of said guide rod being such that towels may rest over said rodV with their sides supported by said shelf in substantially flat condition and the outer perforated edges of said towels be turned downwardly toslide upon said rod vand to make Contact with the top of said shelf upon the downf ward sagging of said rod, substantially as described.

2. A towel rack comprisinga towel supporting shelf; and a guide rod extending outwardly over, in elose proximity to, and substantially parallel to the top of said shelf beyond the outer edge thereof and thence downwardly and rearwardly under said shelf, the proximity of said rod to said shelf being such that towels may be rested over said rod with their sides supported by said 20 shelf in substantially flat condition, and the outer perforated edges of said towels be turned downwardly to slide upon said rod and to make Contact with the top of said shelf upon the downward sagging of said rod, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRAYTON G. RICHARDS.

lVitnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rTs, RosE K. TRIB. 

